Author: Jason Schwartz

I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I currently serve as the Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care for a healthcare system. I've also served as the Director of Behavioral Health at another hospital. I'm also a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work. Views expressed here are my own. Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.

“I would have welcomed the help, and it would have changed my life.”

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 2 Comments

A new Reuters story on newborns affected by the opioid epidemic highlights the inadequate treatment provided to addicted pregnant women. In America, a baby is born dependent on opioids every 19 minutes. But doctors aren’t alerting social services to thousands of these infants, many of whom come to harm in families shattered by narcotics. The … Continue reading “I would have welcomed the help, and it would have changed my life.”

History, maintenance, overdose and policy

~ Jason Schwartz

Two articles came to my attention today. First, esteemed drug policy historian, David Courtwright, provides a historical perspective on opioid policies and maintenance treatments. To the extent that Americans remember the Harrison Act, they recall it as a prohibition law rather than a redundant regulatory measure. This impression grew out of two crucial lacunae: the legislation … Continue reading History, maintenance, overdose and policy

Too expensive? (2015)

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 5 Comments

I frequently point to health professional recovery programs when discussing the effectiveness of drug-free treatment when it's delivered in the appropriate dose, frequency and duration. They have stellar outcomes. (More details here.) The programs were abstinence-based, requiring physicians to abstain from any use of alcohol or other drugs of abuse as assessed by frequent random … Continue reading Too expensive? (2015)

What’s with all of the posts about methadone and buprenorphine?

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 3 Comments

I've been doing a lot of posts on methadone and buprenorphine lately. It's not that I think they are evil and should be banned. It's just that, if your knowledge was limited to what's in media reports, you'd believe that medications like buprenorphine and methadone are the only responsible treatment, that they are inaccessible, and that any … Continue reading What’s with all of the posts about methadone and buprenorphine?

Don’t believe the hype

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 4 Comments

About that Huffington Post article covering Obama's addiction speech a few weeks ago. ALLEGATION FACT FACT A Huffington Post investigation published in January found that the treatment industry overwhelmingly resists a medication-assisted model based on decades-old beliefs about sobriety that have been passed down by those in recovery, but have never been rigorously tested. Suboxone is the number 39 … Continue reading Don’t believe the hype

The gold standard and problem of coercion

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 4 Comments

I've written a lot on this blog about the gold standard model of treatment for addiction--health professional recovery programs. Whenever I discuss the model, I get a lot of responses that could be placed into the category of, "Yeah, but they're different. They're doctors. And, besides, they've got a lot to lose." I've addressed the … Continue reading The gold standard and problem of coercion